Outdoor Activities for Kids – Page 6

Eight ideas for connecting your kids to nature this…

by Editorial Staff

Ah…summer! And many (many) free hours with the kids.

There it is, the sense of angst we parents feel at the end of the school year. While we all get excited about the possibilities for summer activities and the freedom, we at the same time wonder how we are going to keep our kids busy. After the first few days or weeks, everyone starts to get bored. I realized today I had better plan our summer and plan it fast. Here is the result – a short list of what is on our plate for the summer.

Swimming lessons – a summer tradition. Every single parent I know has signed up their children for swimming lessons. My kids begin theirs at the end of June.
Camping – we set up camp in our own backyard and spend weekends making smores and reading at night in our tent. We listen to the peepers, crickets and owls.
Canoeing and fishing – we are lucky enough to live near a lake and spend several hours a week canoeing and fishing (with a life vest for everyone of course!).
Hiking – Our town has a hiking club and sponsors hikes every Saturday. This also includes going for walks around the neighborhood as often as possible.
Beach/Lake – There is nothing like spending the day at the beach!
Whale watch – I hope the highlight of our summer will include a whale watch or other fun activity that allows you to view marine life. Other types of animals you can view from boats are seals, puffins, dolphin, sea turtles, and alligators. Click here to learn how to do it safely.
Picnics at the park – This is always a popular activity with us.
Day camp at the local farm or park– If you want my kids outdoors enjoying nature as much as possible in the summer.

A terrific idea is to involve your kids in the planning. They may have some great ideas. Fill in the days of the calendar together. It will give you all something to look forward to in the coming months and can help relieve some of the pre-summer break angst.

Camping with kids

Tips to Help You Find Great Summer Outdoor Camps…

by MCC

It’s time to start thinking about where to send the kids to camp this summer. No doubt, your local parenting magazines have ads for various area camps splattered throughout. If you are going to send your kids to summer camp, now is the time to start planning. Not only will you get spots at your top picks when you register early, but you’ll avoid hearing the “I’m bored!” complaint from your kids because they’ll have something better to do than hang around the house all day ALL SUMMER.

Consider this — rather than sign them up for the now typical offering of soccer, computer, basketball, Lego, tumbling camp and the like, why not go the more traditional route and send them to an outdoor camp? They include all the fun stuff like camping, archery, fishing, target shooting, animal tracking, orienteering, hiking, swimming in lakes, cooking by campfire, sleeping in cabins and tents and learning outdoor survival skills. It’s the classic picture we all have in our minds from our camping days.

If you have to specifically look for an outdoor camp for the traditional camp experience. What exactly are outdoor camps? After all, kids are outdoors when they play soccer, tennis, etc. Well, outdoor camps include activities that focus mainly on traditional outdoor activities like boating, hiking and those I mentioned above.

For a multitude of reasons, the popularity of this type of camp has declined. But, given all the news these days about children needing to reconnect with the outdoors and nature, outdoor camps may be enjoying a comeback because they are just what the doctor ordered to help fight childhood depression, obesity and attention deficit disorder. In fact, according to a multitude of research studies, children who are connected to nature are actually better learners. Additionally, a child who is active in nature has reduced stress and increased attention span. Wouldn’t it be great to send your child back to school this fall with an improved ability to learn, increased attention span, less stress and a real connection to nature? Traditional outdoor camps provide an abundance of the outdoors. In fact, their whole purpose is to create that connection and benefit kids in those ways.

If you think you would like to go this route, below is valuable information to get you started. The links will help you find and learn about traditional outdoor camps and what they offer campers.

MySummerCamps.com is an online database that includes outdoor camps as a possible search query and has more than 10,000 camps listed. You can do a specific search for the activity on which you would like your child to focus. Also try the American Camping Association’s site and click on its “Find A Camp” button. It lists all types of camps, but includes many with an outdoorsy focus.

If you have older kids and are looking for adventure or travel camps try: Outward Bound, Moondance Adventures, Adventures Cross Country or Bold Earth.

Lastly, if you want your kids to stay close and would like to go the less expensive route, look for nature specific programs offered by your local park and recreation department or the YMCA. Most offer at least a few day camps that are conducted outside and may include swimming, hiking or even outdoor art lessons.

Good luck and if you find a great camp or have one to recommend, please post it in the comments section.

Eight ideas for connecting your kids to nature this…

Ah…summer! And many (many) free hours with the kids.

Tips to Help You Find Great Summer Outdoor Camps…

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